'I think actually people go to the theatre because they want a conversation and the play is only an excuse to have that conversation'

In this episode I talk theatre criticism's past and future with Megan Vaughan and Catherine Love; I interview Shôn Dale-Jones about the artistic and political journey that led to his latest show Me & Robin Hood; and then I discuss 'theatrical heterotopias' and the Gate Theatre's The Unknown Islandwith Professor Kim Solga.

Podcast outline

00.00.00 Introduction

00.01.21 Theatre criticism: introduction

00.08.11 Theatre criticism: discussion

00.45.47 Shôn Dale-Jones: introduction

00.50.38 Shôn Dale-Jones: interview

01.22.33 Kim Solga: what she's read and what she's seen

01.47.13 Closing remarks and credits.

01.58.51 End

Additional Information

In my introduction on theatre criticism, the information about newspaper sales comes from this report. You can go to their websites to find out more about Megan Vaughan and

You may be here because you’ve come across a book, or play, or article of mine and you want to know more. Maybe you’re a student or a colleague or a friend or an acquaintance and you want to find out more about me. Maybe you are gathering ammunition for a vicious ad hominem attack that will expose me for the charlatan that I am.